Control console for motor grader



Nov. 1, 1966 D. c. KLINGAMAN 3,28 23 CONTROL CONSOLE FOR MOTOR GRADER Filed Aug. 14, 1964 INVENTOR. DEA/v Z. Aime/WAN iw M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,282,123 0NTROL CONSOLE FOR MOTOR GRADER Dean C. Klingaman, Decatur, llL, assignor to Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, Ill., a corporation of California Filed Aug. 14, 1964,, Ser. No. 389,609 3 Claims. (Cl. 74-479) This invention relates to control consoles for motor graders and more particularly to an improvement through which a conventional console can be modified to enable an operator to move the grader blade up or down at either or both ends simultaneously and with either his right or his left hand.

Conventional motor graders include many adjustable components and, with the required accuracy of grade to which they work, they are considered the most diificult to operate of all earth working machines. In addition to the usual steering, shifting of gears and control of engine speed, the operator must, attend controls for varying the cutting angle, depth, tilt and side shifting of the blade as well as the lean of the front wheels of the grader. Thus in addition to the steering wheel, the motor grader has a console containing a number of transmissions interposed between a power takeoff of the grader engine and linkage to the several components to be controlled. The transmissions drive selectively in opposite directions under control of levers which are supported on the console and connected to the shifting mechanisms either directly or through hydraulic servos or the like,

A conventional arrangement of controls on the console places the blade depth controls for right and left ends of the blade at the right and left ends respectively of the console. Thus it is necessary to use the right or left hand to adjust the corresponding end of the blade and this is often awkward because the required hand may be cccupied with another control. Furthermore it is usually impossible with the machine in motion to raise or lower both ends of the blade simultaneously.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a motor grader control console including means for an operator to control blade depth with either hand and to adjust blade depth at both ends of the blade simultaneously if desired.

Further and more specific objects and advantages of the invention and the manner in which it is carried into practice are made apparent in the following specification wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a prespective view of the control console of a motor grader including the improvement of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in front elevation and partially in section of blade depth control levers at one end of the console;

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating the manner in which an operators hand may be employed for the simultaneous operation of two levers; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary taken on FIG. 2.

The console shown in FIG. 1 comprises a box or hous' ing it) which contains gear transmissions for transmitting power in either direction to the several components to be controlled. A steering wheel shown in broken lines at 11 is usually supported on a shaft 12 which is in turn the line IVIV of 3,28Z,l23 Patented Nov. 1, 1966 supported in a bearing bracket 13 resting on top of the housing 10. Levers 14, 15, 16 and 17 control respectively a scarifier, a blade circle reverse mechanism, blade side shift and front wheel lean mechanism, the construction and arrangement of which are not pertinent to the present invention. Levers 18 and 19 are conventional and control transmissions which raise and lower the right and left end of the blade and are correspondingly marked R and L upon the drawing. These levers are logically positioned considering the positions of transmissions and linkages which communicate power for raising and lowering the opposite ends of the blade. Their location, however, is such that depth control of the blade is frequently quite awkward because the levers must be individually operated with the right and left hand of the operator.

As is more apparent in FIG. 2, each lever such as the lever 14 is mounted on a shaft 21 rotatable in suitable hearings in a pedestal 22 and carrying a lever 23 which extends downwardly for control of a valve positioned at 24 which valve controls fiow of fluid to a servo mechanism for shifting the transmission from neutral to forward or reverse driving positions. The present invention includes the provision of a lever 19a beside the lever 18 and a lever 18a beside the lever 19. Levers 18 and 18a are connected by a yoke, generally indicated 26, in such a manner that movement of either moves the other and the levers 19 and 19a are similarly connected by a yoke, generally indicated at 27. As may best be seen in FIG. 2, a long shaft 21a is used in place of the shaft shown at 21 so that it can accommodate both of the levers 19 and 18a. The lever 19 is placed adjacent the end of the shaft and secured to it and the lever 18a is freely mounted on the shaft and connected to the yoke 26. The other end end of the yoke 26 is connected to the lever 18 as shown in FIG. 1. The levers 19 and 19a are similarly connected and the manner in which each of the yoke-s is connected with the levers is shown in FIGS. 1 and 4. Each yoke has two arms, one of which is shown at 30 in FIG. 4 and which is bifurcated to embrace the shaft 21a, such bifurcation being shown at 31 in FIG. 1. A bar 32 is welded to the arm 30 and cooperates with a bar 33 secured by cap screws to embrace flat sides of the lever 14 and so hold the yoke arm against rotation with respect to the lever. Other types of non-rotating connections may of course be employed.

The convenience of this arrangement of control levers is illustrated in FIG. 3 where an operators left hand is shown as embracing the two levers 19 and 18a at the left side of the console. The left hand of the blade may be depressed and the right hand elevated whereas twisting the hand in the opposite direction will bring both levers to a neutral position or both to a blade raising or lowering position as desired. Since the levers 18 and 19a at the right side of the console can be manipulated with the right hand in the same manner, it is apparent that either hand which is most readily available may be used to attain any desired depth adjustment of the motor grader blade.

I claim:

1. In power actuated blade depth controls for a motor grader or the like which comprises remotely positioned left end and right end depth control levers, two auxiliary levers mounted one adjacent each of the remote levers, and means connecting each auxiliary lever to the other of the remote levers.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which the remotely positioned levers are fixed to shafts and the auxiliary levers are freely mounted on the same shafts in close References Cited by the Examiner proximity to the remote levers but spaced sufliciently to UNITED STATES PATENTS permit simultaneous operation of two levers in opposite 1,625,563 4/1927 Pa ne 74-479 dlrectons 2,791,915 5/1957 Me rry 74-5625 3. The combinatlon of 01mm 1 in which the remotely 3 192 794 7/1965 Counts 74 481 positioned levers are disposed adjacent opposite ends of n a control console, and the auxiliary levers are positioned FOREIGN PATENTS one adjacent each remote lever, and a yoke connecting 126,428 12/1947 Australia. each auxiliary lever to the other remote lever in control- ED c, MATTERN, JR., Primary Examiner, ling relatiwship thereto- 10 MILTON KAUFMAN, Examiner.

I. PUFFER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN POWER ACTUATED BLADE DEPTH CONTROLS FOR A MOTOR GRADER OR THE LIKE WHICH COMPRISES REMOTELY POSITIONED LEFT END AND RIGHT END DEPTH CONTROL LEVERS, TWO AUXILIARY LEVERS MOUNTED ONE ADJACENT EACH OF THE REMOTE LEVERS, AND MEANS CONNECTING EACH AUXILIARY LEVER TO THE OTHER OF THE REMOTE LEVERS. 